American Journalist Sentenced to Two Years for Acting as Agent of China

Thomas Weir Pauken II, an American citizen who worked in China from 2019 to 2026, was sentenced on September 2, 2026, to two years in prison for acting as an agent of a foreign government within the United States. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg stated that Pauken exploited his U.S. citizenship to support operations of the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), including recruiting and gathering sensitive information from potential assets. Eisenberg added that Pauken betrayed his country for financial gain and emphasized the commitment of the National Security Division to hold accountable those who assist Chinese espionage efforts. Pauken, 50, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel near Dulles Airport in Washington, DC, in February 2026. Prior to his arrest, he allegedly offered a $10,000 payment to an unidentified Trump administration official to use their security clearance to provide Chinese intelligence with sensitive information. Pauken had been scheduled to fly back to China the day before his arrest. The individual he allegedly attempted to bribe, referred to as 'Person 1' in court documents, was a source Pauken met at a political event in the summer of 2023. Prosecutors indicated that Pauken was motivated by greed and low self-esteem rather than ideology. His attorney noted that Pauken moved to China in 2010 seeking a fresh start. Pauken had a career as a writer and videographer for Chinese media outlets and worked as an editor for China’s state-run Xinhua news agency. In 2017, he was allegedly recruited by a woman identified as 'Cathy' for Chinese military intelligence. Pauken also reportedly conducted intelligence-gathering work for other contacts in China, suspecting they were Chinese operatives. He was allegedly hired by a group in Wuhan to produce reports on the U.S. Department of Justice and its technological resources, which they intended to use for cyberattacks against the U.S. government. Pauken received at least $100,000 for his services from 'Cathy' between 2019 and 2026. He pleaded guilty to the charges in June. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos stated that Pauken knowingly assisted a foreign adversary in undermining the U.S. government for financial gain. Stamos characterized Pauken's actions as a prolonged course of conduct aiding China. Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division remarked on the lengths to which the Chinese Communist Party will go to undermine U.S. democratic institutions. At his sentencing hearing, Pauken expressed remorse, acknowledging wrongdoing but disputing his motives. Defense attorney Charles Burnham argued that Pauken was manipulated by Chinese intelligence and believed he was helping improve U.S.-China relations. Prosecutors countered that Pauken was aware of his actions, as evidenced by his possession of burner phones and cash intended for bribery. The judge indicated that seven years of acting as a Chinese agent was too long to attribute to innocent mistakes, and Pauken was sentenced to two years in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release without overseas travel.